by Bob Blink
“I’ve been to Jaya once, a long time ago. All I remember is the miles and miles of black rock we had to cross to get there. Pa said it was from a volcano and a long time ago. You could still smell the stink. I don’t remember anything of the city. It was just another town, and I was pretty young.”
Well, if the schedule is correct, we should be passing through there tomorrow night. We’ll probably pass by your rocks a bit earlier in the day. After that, it’s mostly open country all the way to the coast.”
Asari had been anxious to be gone, but now that they were actually on the way, his mood had soured a bit.
“What time is it anyway? I don’t want to miss dinner.”
They had seen the impressive dining room they were allowed to use. Ashreye and Sindra had wanted to see more of the boat, so as they were leaving the group had taken time for a quick look around.
“It’s a long time before dinner. I’d guess it’s close to mid afternoon. With the rain and dark skies it’s a bit hard to be sure.”
It’d been the dark skies that had Jolan thinking it was later than it was. That and the fact so much had happened today after so many days of waiting around. He was going to need to buy another watch. His last one had been taken from him when he and Tomas had been kidnapped, and he’d never seen it again.
Neither of the men slept as well as they had anticipated, despite the excellent dinner and a couple glasses of wine. Too many thoughts kept intruding plus the storm made enough noise to keep one awake. Jolan estimated he’d gotten less than four hours real sleep by the time the sun came up the next day. By noon he was bored with sitting and watching the land slip past, and was anxious for Jaya to appear simply for the change of scenery. He spent a little time attempting to figure out some of the things that Altz said he should be able to do. The only thing he managed was to turn a few drops of falling rain into the equivalent of hail; small balls of frozen water. His development of magical skills seemed to have pretty much come to a complete halt. He hoped that the mages in Cobalo would be able to teach him a whole lot more.
The weather cleared the next day, and while it remained cool, the river was smooth and they had a better view of their changing world. He was amazed at the number of boats on the water, especially those making the slow and arduous trip upriver. As promised, after five days they reached the outer limits of the port city of Jupura.
Chapter 39
After two horrific days at sea, their ship was finally pulling into the sheltered waters of Cobalo harbor. It couldn’t come any too soon for Asari, who had suffered miserably. He had been filled with eagerness as they pulled away from Jupura early in the morning on the previous day, where they had actually done very little during their stay. One would have thought they’d have been eager after the long days on the riverboat to get out and explore, but the cold wet weather had put a damper on their enthusiasm, and instead of looking around the city they had mostly stayed indoors. When the skies cleared the morning of their departure, Asari took it as a positive sign, and had been filled with wonder as they boarded the huge sailing ship that would take them the short distance across the sea.
A sailing ship it was indeed, something that could have come from an old-time pirate movie, except the strength of the masts and the thickness of the sails should have been something of a clue. The steam engines such as those used on the riverboat were not up to the task of moving a ship across the violent oceans of Gaea, and technology had not developed to the point to provide any other option. One sailed the oceans at the mercy of the winds, and winds there were.
Jolan had expected the tides here to be tricky due to the presence of multiple moons. In truth, he hadn’t been knowledgeable enough on the subject to know if that translated into multiple tides at random times of day, with occasional very high or very low tides, or some other reflection of the complex combination of gravitational forces on the waters of Gaea. But that wouldn’t matter to a ship at sea. What he hadn’t been prepared for was the magnitude of the waves, and the fierce winds that swept the oceans that bounded the Settled Lands. Their passage wasn’t even in the truly open seas, the short trip between Jupura and Cobalo crossing a merely “V-shaped” slice of water that was protected by land on either side. Still, the Great Lakes on Earth could develop some incredible waves, so there was no reason this inland sea could not as well.
The ship was designed for the kind of abuse they encountered, and the Captain took everything in stride. On more than one occasion he commented to Jolan that they were lucky to have such a moderate bit of weather for the crossing given the time of year. “Of course, in the coming months the waters would become truly exciting,” he’d told them. Jolan wasn’t sure how much of all this was simply a story to tell the neophyte sailors, and how much was true. He was certain the waters here couldn’t always be this wild, or sea travel would never have been developed.
However their experience compared to the types of weather sailors commonly experienced here, Jolan didn’t think he wanted to have to make an open ocean trip. The seas had become what he would have termed rough even before they cleared the breakwater at Jupura. Once they reached the open water, the ship was sent twisting and turning, one minute being elevated high into the air, and then the next dropping into troughs in the sea that left the water cresting high above them making it appear they couldn’t help but be swamped. Massive waves did frequently crash upon the decks, and passengers were not allowed outside onto the open decks during the voyage.
One special viewing area had been set aside for those that simply had to be outside. This was a special area on the second level that was fully enclosed with a strong wooden frame and multiple metal bars that were closely spaced enough that a person could not be washed through. Anyone braving this open-air experience was certain to return inside soaked, but some seemed to consider it exhilarating.
The sailors, of course, went wherever necessary to keep the ship operating. When they were on deck they always wore special braided leather harnesses that strapped to their bodies and provided a ten foot strand of thick leather rope with a loop on the far end. The loop was attached to a metal pipe that ran down the center of the ship, allowing them to go anywhere required while all the time being firmly anchored. Being lost overboard was the equivalent of a death sentence. While this arrangement kept them from being washed overboard, Jolan had seen one sailor tossed into the air to crash uncontrolled back to the deck. He was told that broken bones were not uncommon among the crew, especially the newer members.
Jolan had some experience on the oceans of Earth, and had found himself to be a fair weather sailor. One afternoon simply bobbing along the kelp beds off the California coast had made him so miserably sick he thought he was going to die. Armed with this memory, he’d been dreading the short sea voyage, and when the waves had started building as they approached the opening in the breakwater he’d known he was going to embarrass himself before the trip even got started. Somehow though, he’d changed. The unpredictable motions no longer had any effect on him. In fact, he detected no trace of sea-sicknesses developing in him at all, so other than the nervousness at the pounding the ship was receiving, the trip didn’t bother him at all. He wondered if his newly blossoming abilities as a mage might be responsible.
Asari had been sick before they hit the open ocean, and continued to be sick for the duration of the voyage. Once he had voided everything in his stomach, he simply continued to have the dry heaves, and lay in a miserable heap strapped to the cot that gave him some protection from the pounding. He was too sick to try and protect himself from the bouncing ship otherwise. Jolan suspected if he could have gotten onto the open deck, his friend would have gladly thrown himself overboard to end it all.
Now it was late afternoon of the second day, and the city on the cliffs had been visible for more than an hour. Most of Cobalo was built on top of the high rocky cliffs that offered spectacular views of the sea. Through the porthole in their room, Jolan could even see the royal cast
le perched near the edge of the three hundred foot high vertical stone walls as the ship sailed past. They would be coming into the lowlands part of the city, near where the muddy river emptied into the sea. They would make port at the base of a long incline where the land flattened and merged with the ocean, and would have to make the climb up the hill to the city proper the following day.
The port was divided into several areas. They would be coming ashore closest to the city proper, along with the other passenger ships that made the trip from various ports from Angon and elsewhere. Just south of their intended landing were the commercial docks, where cargo from around the Settled Lands made it’s way in and out of the busy seaport on a daily basis. Even further south were the fishing ports, where the smelly catches were brought back and processed. The fishing port had been allocated the area furthest from the city proper for obvious reasons.
The pounding of running feet could be felt through the wooden structure as the crew prepared to make ready for their landing, and faint shouting which had to be orders from the Chief of the Boat could be heard as well. The ship was steady now, barely making headway as it approached the docks, and Jolan made his way over to help his suffering friend. He helped Asari stand, and they stripped off his smelly clothing. Asari was able to wipe himself down, and then he dressed in new clothes, leaving the old ones where they had fallen when he stripped them off. He had no intention of bringing the vomit covered items along to contaminate the rest of his belongings.
“I swear upon the Dragons,” he said. “No one will ever get me onboard another ship alive.”
Jolan grinned and offered his hand to his friend helping him out of the room and up onto the open deck. The heavy doors had been opened, and the passengers were mostly outside watching the port as the ship maneuvered up against the pier and the heavy lines were made fast. Other than the heavy bag that Jolan carried, their luggage would be retrieved from the rooms and brought to them on the pier where they could arrange for transport to an inn. It would have to be somewhere close by tonight. It was already late, and while Asari was already looking a bit better, he was in no shape for an extended ride. He needed a stable bed, a bit of food, lots of liquid, and some sleep. Tomorrow would be soon enough to seek out the inn that Tomas had recommended close to the Inner Court where they would be going.
Jolan had been told what to expect by Tomas when they’d discussed his arrival in Angon, but it still didn’t seem possible. There was no customs line, or official paperwork to be processed. They simply waited on the pier until their belongings were delivered, then hailed a carriage, and were soon on their way. The driver suggested the Fair Seas Inn when questioned by Jolan, who wanted something upscale, with everything they would need provided at the inn. It was less than a mile away, and they could sort out their plans once they were settled.
The inn was indeed a comfortable place after the ship, but it wasn’t as nice as where they had stayed in Carta, so even if it hadn’t been a long way from the College and the Council of Mages it wouldn’t have been their choice for an extended stay. Jolan ate heartily while Asari restricted himself to a bit of mild soup, water, and bread, and then went to bed. A night’s sleep did wonders, and although his stomach muscles were still sore from the days of retching his good mood had returned in the morning.
After a substantial breakfast, they checked out of the inn and had a carriage brought around, then ventured out into the city for the first time. Asari and Jolan had an idea of what to expect due to the detailed descriptions provided by Tomas. They were currently down on the flats near the harbors. Like Carta, there was a walled section of the city, although in Cobalo the Inner Court was far more restrictive in function than in Carta. Here the Inner Court was made up of the Royal Palace and grounds, The College of Mages, the Council of Mages and the Council of Nobles. Two divisions of the King’s Guard were stationed inside the walls and were responsible for the security of everyone within the walls as well as the Government Square outside. Government Square was a large complex just to the south of the Inner Court that housed all of the general government buildings, including the courts, the local police jails, and a large public library.
Surrounding all of this was the large downtown shopping area, along with the performing arts theaters and a number of inns, one of which they hoped to move into before pursuing any other activities. The upper crust of Cobalo had their estates and residences, as appropriate, north of the area described, while the area to the south was more working class people with the harbor where they’d stayed even further south. To the west, the city sprawled for miles, as the population continued to grow.
“This place is nice,” Asari observed as they traveled up the wide stone street, the horses working as the grade kept getting steeper.
Jolan had to agree. From what he could see of the city already, he’d have placed the development here fifty years ahead of Seret. That probably wasn’t fair, but the extensive use of the power that was encouraged in Angon had resulted in improvements and developments that Seret couldn’t claim.
“Look, those glow lamps we saw at the harbor seem to line the street everywhere.”
Jolan had noted the lamps coming on at dusk the previous night, and after a brief investigation he decided they were not electrically powered, and must rely on the power somehow to provide light around the city after dark.
“First we get checked in, then we need to find a bank,” Jolan had suggested at breakfast. “We have far too much gold in one place, even given the security of the Mage’s Box. It seems wise to distribute our resources, especially since we expect to be here for some time. Besides, the damn stuff is heavy.”
“When do you want to approach the Council of Mages?”
“That will be the very next thing. We can go there, submit one copy of the letters, and find out when they will see us. I suspect it will take a few days, maybe a week before we get a hearing. While we are waiting, we can learn our way around, and really get settled in.”
Their carriage had turned toward the ocean after reaching the plateau and passing along the south wall of the Inner Court continued on to the inn that Tomas had suggested. Jolan examined the wall as they passed, which was a bit taller and appeared far superior to the one in Carta. He could sense that the power had been used in its construction, and knew somehow that the material had been strengthened in the process far beyond what the materials themselves would have provided.
The Cobalo Gardens was a very upscale establishment just a block from the cliffs, and as such provided an excellent view of the Inner Sea they had crossed the previous day. They were only a half dozen blocks from the south entrance to the Inner Court, and the south shopping district was only a little further. While the Gardens would have everything they needed, Jolan was happy to have seen a variety of places to eat in the last few blocks, so they wouldn’t be restricted to the selections offered at the inn.
Their rooms were far superior to those they’d had in the Peaceful Pony, but were costing them a full silver a day. They had nothing to compare with, but Jolan expected their arrangements would only be for a week or so before they were invited into the College, or had failed in their goal. Either way, they could then reassess the situation.
“There are any number of good banks in the area,” said the man at the front desk. “If you want something that provides the very best in services, and allows for inter-country transfer of funds, I’d recommend the Bank of Angon. It’s on the King’s Way, just west of the wall.”
“Are you sure this is really necessary?” Asari asked as they rode the carriage back toward the Inner Court. The Mage’s Box with all of their remaining gold sat on the seat between them.
“It has some advantages,” Jolan replied.
He moved his staff and looked out the window at the city. They had passed the entrance to the Inner Court a couple of blocks back and would be returning there shortly.
“We’ll open the account in Asari’s name,” Jolan insisted when he learne
d the bank didn’t understand the idea of joint accounts. That fit with his ultimate wishes anyway.
“Why my name?” Asari asked.
“We don’t know what is going to happen. What good would it do for me to end up back on Earth with no way back and you unable to access this money. It’s better this way.”
“Here you are,” the banker said after returning. “These are the account records and number. You can access all of the funds anytime at this bank. If you wish availability at a foreign location, we can give you a draft that will allow access of up to half of your funds at one of the establishments we have arrangements with. You have one hundred and ten gold Royals in the account as of this morning.”
That left them with twenty golds and change, which should more than satisfy any needs they had for a long time.
As they made their way back outside Jolan asked. “Are you sure there will be no problem with your carrying the pistol?”
“Not today, at least according to Tomas. We won’t be going inside. We’ll stop at the guard post near the entrance and deliver the letters, which they will accept and hopefully pass on to the College of Mages. If they are accepted, then we will be allowed inside, and then we will likely be searched. I don’t think I should have it with me then.”
Dropping off the letters went just as Asari had described. There was a large gated structure at the entrance emphasizing that no one passed unchallenged into the Inner Court. In their case they were directed to a man along one wall of the building who took the documents, looked at them briefly and said, “Come back tomorrow afternoon. These will have been reviewed and if you are scheduled, you will be given a time then.”
“Do you have an idea of what the wait time for an audience tends to be?” Jolan asked, wondering if it might be days or weeks.
